1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless styluses used to input information into pen computing devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical wireless stylus structures (i.e., styluses which are not configured to provide electrical signals from circuitry disposed with in the styluses and which are not tethered to a pen computing device by some electrical means) (hereinafter "styluses") used to input information into pen computing devices have been manufactured by CASIO, SHARP ELECTRONICS, RADIO SHACK (i.e., ZOOMER), AT&T (i.e., EO) and APPLE COMPUTER CORP. (i.e., NEWTON). Typically, stylus structures comprise one-part or multi-part constructions of plastic which have unique shapes and sizes adapted to be held in a user's hand. In fact, many styluses are made from plastic in sizes which are configured to fit into and to be stored in dedicated recepticals formed in the cases of the pen computing devices with which such styluses are designed to operate (e.g., RADIO SHACK's Model ZOOMER PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANT Model No. Z-PDA).
The SHARP ELECTRONICS Model EXPERT PAD PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANT Model No. PI-7000 has software which converts handwritten characters into machine processable text and handwritten graphics into diagrams and geometric forms. The SHARP EXPERT PAD comprises a touch screen which allows a wireless stylus to come into frictional contact therewith to allow a user to input information into his or her pen computing device in the form of handwritten images. The converted text and images are graphically viewed on the EXPERT PAD's touch screen (e.g., liquid crystal screen "LCD") in a contrasting fashion. The SHARP EXPERT PAD, like the other pen computing devices mentioned above, incorporates a case structure wherein its dedicated, plastic, multi-part wireless stylus is stored when not in use.
A typical stylus is depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Stylus 100 includes a body section 101, a griping section 102, and a tip 103. Tip 103 is conical in shape, but blunt enough so that damage does not occur to the screen of a pen computing device when stylus 100 is placed into frictional contact with that screen. The required bluntness of tip 103 is well known in the art of stylus structures. Typically, stylus 100 would be made of plastic or other suitable materials the characteristics of which are such that no damage occurs to a touch-screen or tablet of a pen computing device.
FIG. 1B illustrates a rear elevational view of stylus 100 and indicates the fact that the width of stylus 100 is large enough to allow stylus 100 to be comfortably held in a user's hand. However, FIG. 1B also illustrates that stylus 100 is too large to be used as a cartridge for a pre-existing writing implement which is adapted to take refill cartridges. As such, the present state of styluses has not heretofore envisioned the use of a stylus cartridge which may be used with pre-existing writing implements (e.g., reusable pens and pencils).
There are many other disadvantages associated with the styluses mentioned above. For example, such styluses are often ugly in relation to a user's other writing implements (e.g., his or her stylus may not match a carefully arranged set of writing implements such as matching sets of reusable pens and pencils).
Moreover, the styluses of the prior art are often difficult to replace when lost, thereby causing a user of a pen computing to use an unintended devices such as a ball-point pen, a sharp pencil, a fountain pen, a fingernail or a bent paper clip to input information into his or her pen computing device. Such, unintended devices can cause irreparable harm or damage to the surface of the screen of a user's pen computing device thereby causing a repair or replacement to be necessary or a malfunction to occur.
The above-mentioned and other problems are solved by the present invention.